Photo via YouTube
Bahadur Chand Gupta's $1 flights never leave the ground, but that doesn't make them any less astounding.
The 58-year-old is the subject of the latest Barcroft TV YouTube video, which delves into an unheralded but remarkable program taking place near New Delhi, India (h/t Digg).
Of course, many of you would scoff at paying money to sit in a plane that goes absolutely nowhere. That's just the jaded airplane traveler in you talking.
You have been on countless flights. The magic of aviation has dissolved with every delay delivered or peanut pouch handed out.
Sadly, the mysticism of flight continues for those not fortunate enough to experience what is truly a wonderful way to travel.
As the video below explains, there are many impoverished people in the area who have never set foot on an airplane.
Gupta has found a way to solve that:
The National.ae spoke with Gupta back in 2012. The retired airline engineer recounted the same story he does in the video, which serves as the impetus behind his successful project.
Gupta stated at the time: "I come from a small village in Haryana state called Kasan. I was the first person from there to qualify as an engineer. When I went to work for India Airlines in Delhi it was a very big thing. Whenever I went home or when people came to the city they wanted to talk to me about my work. None of them had ever flown and many of them used to ask if I could take them inside a plane. For security reasons that was never possible, but saying no always made me feel very uncomfortable and disappointed. After some time I began to think that I should do something outside of the airport. Then this plane came up for sale and I bought it."
Now he charges about $1, or whatever his patrons can afford, to simulate for them the experience of traveling in an airplane.
There are safety instructions and snacks, two things we so often take for granted as we traverse the country for business or pleasure.
Here the ages range but the smiles all seem to gleam with similar splendor. As one woman states, "I saw the airplane on television and it's the same here."
Unfortunately, airline travel just isn't in the cards for some people. Gupta is doing his best to right that wrong with a project that is bringing aviation to the people of New Delhi.
The plane may never lift off, but that doesn't mean this project isn't headed in the right direction.
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